Porsche developing 800-Volt Turbo Charging system

800-volt charging seen as the future of recharging electric vehicles

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August 17, 2016 06:52

Porsche first introduced its concept study as “Porsche Turbo Charging” at the 66th International Motor Show 2015 (IAA).

Since the majority of currently available electric automobiles are made specifically as commuter vehicles in urban areas, frequent charging is necessary. However, with DC fast charging stations working with 400 volts, its charging power of 50 kilowatts means that its charging time would take about 80 minutes tops.

To lessen the charging time, increasing the voltage is required. With the help of the Porsche Turbo charging, charging time for electric vehicles will have little to no difference if compared with average time of re-fueling vehicles with combustion engines. The previous capacity of 400 volts would become 800 which allows of only up to 40 minutes of charging with the same 400 km range.

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The anticipated 800-volt charging station could be used for the currently available electric vehicles as well as the next generation of electric vehicles with 400-volt technology. It could be adapted to the Combined Charging System (CCS). With the adaptation of charging interferences, it also allows compatibility with other charging standards or vehicle categories.

Its power unit consisting of the transformer, DC/DC converter and rectifier, stays the same. The charging voltage and power were reconstructed in accordance to the vehicle's power unit. Lastly, to enable inductive charging and charging by pantograph, only the vehicle interface needs to be changed.

As of now, the 800-volt technology that Porsche designed is still adjusting to the cost requirements for its production. In the future however, they plan to use the 800-volt charging system for the production version of the Mission E concept.

With the Mission E concept study, they aim to make a vehicle that will signify a true Porsche and a better alternative than vehicles with combustion engines. It has an efficient drivetrain plus a high capacity battery that has a range of over 500 km in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and needs only a single battery charge for all trips up to several days.